Dakota Access Pipeline announces May 14 as first date of service

Chairman Dave Archambault II of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe addresses the Native Nations Rise rally in Washington, D.C., on March 10, 2017.
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The wealthy backers of the Dakota Access
Pipeline announced May 14 as the anticipated first date of service, giving tribes more time to halt the controversial project.

The firm completed the 1,172-mile pipeline after the Trump administration issued an easement to cross federally-managed land in North Dakota. Despite the obstacles, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is still hoping it can win the #NoDAPL battle.

"We're going to try to stop the oil from flowing," Chairman Dave Archambault II said during an appearance at the University of North Dakota, The Fargo Forum reported. "We're going to build awareness about the investors, the lenders, the banks, the financial institutions who fund projects like this and who fund companies like Energy Transfer Partners."

The tribe has asked a federal judge to set aside the Trump administration's approval of the pipeline, which comes within a half-mile of its reservation. A hearing hasn't been scheduled but action could come before the May 14 service date.

Trump also issued a memorandum calling on pipelines to be made with American materials. Energy Transfer opposes the mandate, The Dallas Morning News reported.

“The impacts of such a restriction are expected to severely delay project schedules, drive up costs, decrease availability and lower quality,” the firm said in a letter to the Department of Commerce, the paper reported. The agency is headed by Wilbur Ross, one of the billionaires in Trump's Cabinet.